Laphroaig 16 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

In celebration of their impressive 200th anniversary, Laphroaig have released several new malts and age expressions.

The distillery, found along the rugged shores of the Isle of Islay, is well known for its smoky and heavily peated drams. There is also a distinct maritime flavour from the sea air that interacts with liquid as it matures.

One of their recent release is a 16 Year Old that seeks to embody the community spirit of Laphroaig, and has some of these distinct features as well.

With this expression, the distillery manages to capture this as well as some surprisingly floral and sweet notes along the way.

The nose is bright and tangy, filled with citrus notes and sweet caramel. This dram is brimming with orchard fruits and the lemons and limes add a nice kick to them.

There are also plenty of melons and peaches that are ripe for the picking in this dram.

Underneath the sweet fruitiness is a salty taste of the sea air, with a slight hint of medicinal qualities that are also characteristic of Laphroaig Whiskies.

There isn’t too much peat, a quality this expression shares with the 21 Year Old that was also released for the distillery’s anniversary.

The palate grows the flavours of the nose, with lots more fruit and warm caramel tones.There are apples and pears, alongside the tang of oranges and clementines.

The texture of these fruits is creamy and smooth and this comes across in the mouth feel.

These are joined by a subtle smoke that acts as a wonderful backdrop for the fruity sweetness to really bounce off.

The caramel tones come through towards the end of the dram and are accompanied by salty seaweed and a peppery spice.

This expression rounds off well, with a medium length, dry finish..

The 16 Year Old, previously only available to members of the Friends of Laphraoig, is now available in 350ml bottles both in travel retail and regular off licenses.

About The Author

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.